[Kyrie]

Hi Mark,


Youâ??re up against a dilemma all collectors face at some point in their collecting career


There are two concerns here; one is economic and the other, for want of a better phrase, is custodial duty. If you shoot your collector grade Luger and something breaks, it will lose all its collector value and you will be out hundreds of dollars - thatâ??s the financial risk in shooting a collector Luger.


â??Custodial dutyâ? is harder to quantify. We are all just momentary custodians of our collector grade firearms. Eventually they pass from out hand (as a part of our estate, if not sooner) and itâ??s nice to be able to pass on to the next generation of collectors firearms that were as nice as they were when they came into our hands. And a collector grade pistol demoted to shooter is gone forever - one less treasure for our children, and their children, and so on into eternity.


Nor is the risk of breaking a part small. As an example, I have a very nicely refinished DWM 1918 shooter that came to me completely matched, save for the magazine. The first time I fired it the extractor broke in two when firing the first magazine. It happens :-(


Iâ??d suggest treating a collector grade Luger as what it is - an irreplaceable part of history to be preserved for future generations to enjoy. Rather than shooting it, and taking a chance on breaking something and instantly losing a lot of money (not to mention having something to kick yourself for for many years!) Iâ??d suggest buying a shooter Luger to shoot. A shooter Luger can be had for around $400.


That said, itâ??s your pistol and itâ??s up to you to decide what is important to you. Itâ??s a tough decision, and one we have all faced.


Best regards,


Kyrie